Since I am still waiting for my Garmin footpod to come in the mail, I have been running outside. Even though it's been hot wind lately, I am really enjoying my outside runs. I am definitely not one of those happy people you see hauling ass down the street or sidewalk in the middle of town. I will not run near the school I work at because there's so many students around to make fun of me. I will not run where there's a lot of people to see me or a lot of traffic. It's probably a confidence issue, but it's also a jiggle issue. My belly jiggles far too much when I run. I only ran Monday, Wednesday, Friday of this week, but I think that really helped my leg feel better. Monday, I went to the gym. Wednesday, I walk/jogged the trail at the lake near my house. Today, I ran at one of the junior high tracks. The signs said, "Open for school events only. All trespassers will be prosecuted." I looked around, I didn't see anyone, and decided to go ahead and take my chances. I don't know why, but it's easier for me to run on a track. I think it takes me back to high school and knowing exactly how many laps I have to go to make a mile or 2 miles or whatever. I know my Garmin tells me the same thing, but there's just something about running around a track.
So today I decided to just do 2 miles instead of 3+. I ran my first lap a little too "fast" (for me) and finished it in 2:40. So my next 3 laps were a little slower. I ended up finishing the first mile in 13:13! Mind you, I can't remember the last time I ran a mile that fast. Monday, my mile (average) time was 16:33. Wednesday, my mile (average) time was 16:05. Then BAM today I make it in 13:13. I took a 30 second stretch break and then went on to my 2nd mile. For the 2nd mile, I speed walked a lap, jogged a lap, speed walked a lap, then speed walked half the lap and ran the last half. My 2 mile time totaled 27:45. Granted, some day I'd like to be able to make 3 miles in 30 minutes or less, but my body is definitely getting stronger and faster. It makes me so happy!
I think so many people expect to be awesome from the start and don't realize how long it takes to work up to where you want to be. I've finally accepted that I am NOT in the same shape I was in high school (ha! nowhere near it) so I will not be running a mile in 7:30. That's fine with me, but I sure do get excited every day that my time gets better or my distance is further.
I do the same thing with (attempting to) run in public. I can only go out after dark when I think no one can see me. I wish I could get over it and just get up and go, but I just can't. I feel like people will be looking at me and judging me. I know it's silly but that doesn't stop me from continuing to think that way.
ReplyDeleteI hear ya. I figure I will "eventually get there" and be one of those crazy people running in public. I don't mind running places where other people work out, but I definitely don't want a ton of traffic driving by watching me jiggle. I am also bad about what people think of me if I stop to walk. It's so lame, but I figure I'll eventually get over it when I am where I want to be!
ReplyDeleteI hate running on busy streets. Problem for me is I live on a busy street and to get to any trail I have to walk or run on a busy street beforehand. I hate walking in my running clothes as well, because I think people are looking at me and judging me, especially when I'm headed home. I live on a hill so if I am walking to cool down up the hill I think people are judging me for not being able to run up the hill. I'd like to wear a sign that says "I just ran 3 miles, I'm cooling down, don't judge." :-) I don't know if I'll ever get over it, but I do it anyway because I don't have a treadmill or a gym membership.
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